Cleaning device and adaptor means therefor



Oct. '14, 1947. E. c. MORRIS 2,428,919

CLEAQING DEVICE AND ADAPTOR MEANS THEREFOR Filed March 24; 1945 Patented Oct. 14, 1947 CLEANiNGDEVICEAND ADAPTjoR Elmer 0. Morris, Chicago, 111.

Application March 24, 1945, Serial No. 534,693

6 claims (01.306-13) This invention rel'atejs'jto' cleaning devices and particularly to brushes or the type comprising an elongated brush head mounted on the end of a handle at right angles to the handle in convenient other cleaning devifce' aut matically to to" its normal angular position when released fatter having been swungout It is another ohj'ect or my invention to impioy position for use for cleaning floors. It is the '5 cleaning devices andadapter ineans theigei'or in object of my invention to' improve devices or this type so as to make them more adaptable for use for cleaning out corners, along walls, about the legs of chairs, around table legs or other artisundry details hereinafter pointed out. The tireierred means by which I have accomplished i'rly objects are illustrated in the accompanying draw? ihg, in which cles of furniture, or back of fixtures spaced a Fig. 1 is a face yiew of a brush embodying the short distance from walls, and to provide im= proved devices constructed from metal, interchangeable from old to new brushes, flexible in movement, easy to operate 'and'greatiy increase Fig. 1.

preferred forn'ifc'if jrny invention being partially broken away for clearnessjof illustraticn v v 2 5 an end V w O he brush iS PWn i the life of brushes. 1-5 Fig. 3 is a iew similar to'illi'g. l butshowi ng For attaining object; li h'a've provided a pivotal connection between the'handie and the brush head or other cleaningmember, together with yielding means adapt d normally to hold the a changed position of the brushhead with respect to the handle. 7 a

Fig. 4 is a longithdinal sectional viewthi ou hj my improved structure by which the handle jot cleaning member in a predetermined operative '0 a brush is pivotally connected with the brush position with respect to the handle, but adapted head. to yield upon the application of pressure thereon for permitting the cleaning member to move to changed angular position'wi'th respect to the handle, and adapted to return the cleaning device whichcooperates withthe camp again to its normal operative position when released after displacement from such normal posi- Fig, 5 is-a M a pa t of imbr s r t wt e and r Fig, 6 isa face view of the follower member Referring now "0 the several f gures of drawing, in-whichcorrespon'ding parts are l race View of the am p ate 'rer min l te he i:

tion. cated by the same reference characters, ill-1 It is another object jojfimy invention to provide a device of this type so for use .in jconnectioneither with a new cleaning device designed for such use or with an old cleariing device. For this pare-r ser have provided .a conversion or adapter unit comprising a plug of a cleaning device, witha socket member pivotally connected therewith and adapted to receive the end of the brush handle, the control spring and other control parts being mounted in cooperative relation to each o'ther on said unit.

it isone ofthe objects. of myinv'ention to pro vide a new and improved. arrangement of control means for'holding' the cleaning device in the dcsired angular position with respect to the hantion in connectionwith ones, I have 40 ing a screw inserted of the us member pivotally'c ber andprov ided'wit'h a socketinto whichthe cates a cleaning or wiper member which inlth ranged asflto'beadapte'd arrangement shown is in the form or an elongatedbrush header thcitype me oye i'rersw ep ing floors and the like. As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the brush headlfl is provided'in its face with a screw=threaded socket 1H, into which the adapted to be screwed into th handle opening correspondingly threaded endportion'ofawooden handle I2 is adapted to be screwed.

For attaining the several ob'ects of inveneitherold brushs or new provided an adapter device compris= threaded plugfniember which can be into the socket of thebru'sh head'in hell ual-handl, I d cem nsmg'a e oeeratfje nnected with'lthe p ng dle, such improved means comprising preferably handle can be screwedr 'By ntense of such aspring-pressed roller'or other follower'rnov'ably mounted on one or the pivotally connected parts in position to have operative engagement with a cam plate mounted rigidly in position'with ree ep n; 611d ea es-W heme spect to the other of said pivotally connected ally connete'dwiththe nanaia t being only n eparts and shaped so as to cause the follower to be displaced ag'ainstthe action-or the spring when threaded see member of the adapter intb the socket of the brushhead.

e'r'abl} being-such-as weause the-brush head or My improved adapter asillustratedcomprises a plug member l3 having external screw threads thereon for removable connection with the socket II of the brush head ID and having a mounting block I4 on its outer end portion and extending between the arms I 5 of a bifurcated sleeve it, such arms l5 being pivotally connected with said block by means of a pivot pin l7. As is shown in Fig. 4, the outer end portion of the sleeve i6 is provided with internal screw-threads for receiving the threaded end of the handle I 2 reparts are connected as shown in Fig. 1 the handle I2 is adapted to swing into as shown in Fig, 3 with the handle extending longitudinally of the brush head.

The means for holding the handle and the brush head yieldingly in position at right angles to each other comprises a cam plate l8, having a a rounded notch 20 which is normally engaged by a follower orcontact member carried by the sleeve I6. In the arrangement shown, the follower is in the form of a roller 2! rotatably slide block 22 which'is along the sleeve [5, being normally pressed toward the cam plate l8 normal assembled position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The block 22 provided with a duct 22a therethrough for the application of lubricant to the'roller.

holding the block and the roller from rotation about the longitudinal axis of the handle.

I The arrangement of the parts is such that when the follower rollerll is in engagement with the rounded'notch 20 in the plate IS the handle i2 is positioned at right angles with respect to the brush head [6. The notch 20 is of such depth that the pressure of the spring 23 on the follower roller 2| has a substantial tendency to hold the as such swinging movement of the head occurs. This arrangement of the spring 23 between bearin the arrangement shown is ings on the pivotally connected brush head and handle insures that the spring 23 by its pressure on the roller 2| shall serve to return the brush head to its normal right angled position as soon as the brush head is from such normal position.

In the use of my improved cleaning device, the

however, one end of the brush head is brought into engagement with an obstrucas a wall or the legs of tables or the like, the excess pressure on that end portion of the head causes the head to swing to the necessary extent for permitting the head to slide longitudinally along the obstruction. The strength of the spring 23 and the shape of the cam plate 18 are such that as soon as the brush head passes out of engagement with the obstruction the brush head promptly returns to its normal right-angled position.

By the use of this improved arrangement, the user is able to clean around the legs of furniture, in corners, about and around radiators, and unhandle. The danger of breaking the handle of the device is also very substantially reduced when cleaning in shops or factories, since a sharp blow on one end of the brush head results merely in a swinging movement of the brush head without any weakening eifect on any part of the structure.

While I prefer to employ the form of device as shown in my drawing, and as above described, the invention is not to be limited thereto except so far as the claims may be so limited, it being understood that changes might well be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1, In a cleaning device, the combination of an elongated brush member, a cam plate of greater length than width removably mounted on said brush member so as to be held rigidly in edgewise position thereon with the plate extending longitudinally of the brush head, a handle pivotally connected with said brush head so as to be adapted to swing with respect to said plate, a contact member movably carried by said handle in position to engage the edge of the plate, and a spring carried by said handle pressing said con-g tact member forcibly against the edge of said plate for causing said contact member by its pressure on the plate normally to hold the handle releasably in position at right angles to said brush head and adapted to return the handle to such right angled position when released after being moved from such position.

a 2. In a cleaning device, the combination of a wiper element, a handle pivotally connected with said wiper element, and means for returning the wiper element to position at right angles to the handle when released after being moved from such position, comprising a follower carried by one of said parts and pressed yieldingly by a spring against a cam carried by the other of said parts and arranged so that the pressure of the spring on the follower and cam is increased progressively as the wiper element is swung away from its right-angled position with respect to the handle.

3. In a cleaning device, the combination of a wiper element, a mounting block removably mounted on the face of said wiper element, a handle pivotally mounted on said block, a plate in the form of a cam having notched engagement with said block, and a spring pressed follower carried by said handle adapt-ed by engagement with the cam surface of said plate normally to hold the plate in position on the block, said cam plate being of substantially greater length than width and being arranged longitudinally of the wiper element so that the follower is moved progressively farther against the action ofthe spring as the wiper element is moved away from its normal position at right angles to the handle.

4. An adapter for providing a pivotal connection between the brush head and the handle of a cleaning device, comprising adapter members arranged for connection with said brush head and said handle respectively and pivotally connected together so as to enable the handle to swing sidewise in either direction away from an intermediate position at right angles to the brush head, and means carried by said members comprising a spring interposed between bearings arranged on said members respectively in spaced relation to the connecting pivot so as to cause the spring to be stressed by relative movement of said members away from said intermediate right-angled posi-' tion with respect to each other and adapted by such stressed condition normally to return said members to said intermediate right-angled position when released.

5. In a cleaning device, the combination of a wiper member, a handle member to which said wiper member is pivotally connected as as to be adapted to have a swing ng movement with respect thereto, an arc-shaped cam mounted on one of said members with the distance of the face from the pivot point of the handle increasing progressively from an intermediate point on the cam, a follower movably mounted on the other of said members in position to engage the face of the cam at said intermediate points thereon when the wiper member stands in a predetermined normal position with respect to the handle, and spring means for pressing said follower against said cam whereby as the handle is swung in either direction for carrying the follower away from said intermediate point on the cam an increasing pressure is applied through the follower to the spring for returning the wiper member to said normal position when released.

6. In a cleaning device, the combination of an elongated brush member, a plug member removably mounted on the face of said brush member so as to project therefrom, a handle pivotally connected with said plug member, a plate in the form of an arc-shaped camhaving a notch in its inner face edge engaging said block and .eXtending outwardly from the brush member with the distance of the cam face from the pivot point of the handle increasing progressively from an intermediate point on the cam face, a follower slidably mounted on said handle in position to engage the face of the cam at said intermediate point thereon when the brush member stands in a predetermined normal position with respect to the handle, and spring means for pressing said follower against said cam whereby as the handle is swung in either direction for carrying the follower away from said intermediate point on the cam an increasing pressure is applied through the follower to the spring for returning the brush member to said normal position when released.

ELMER C. MORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

